Category Archives: Misc

What Is Church For?

Posted on May 8, 2017 by smaxreisert

It’s been an interesting week in the office of Old South, with two particular occasions that got me thinking, once again, about the church and its purpose in these days. The first occasion involved a visitor, whose presence was announced … Continue reading →

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Church, Women and a Young Evangelist

Posted on April 28, 2017 by smaxreisert

My seventeen-year-old son, mostly a reluctant church-goer, is very good friends with a teenage boy who is not a reluctant church goer, but instead an eager one. This friend attends a local Southern Baptist church (though it is not at … Continue reading →

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Thank You, Ross Douthat

Posted on April 24, 2017 by smaxreisert

Now, there’s a string of words that I never thought I would type, let alone choose as a title for a blog post. But, in an Easter surprise, I find myself in complete agreement with Mr. Douthat, conservative columnist for the … Continue reading →

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Prayer as Echo Chamber

Posted on April 1, 2017 by smaxreisert

For reasons that are entirely a mystery to me, I receive regular emails from the “Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation.” When the emails started appearing in my busy inbox, I was tempted to figure out a way to unsubscribe—as, by a … Continue reading →

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My Life in Exile

Posted on March 21, 2017 by smaxreisert

Maine can be a challenging place to live, and work, especially for those of us “from away,” and sometimes even more so for those from Massachusetts. Perhaps owing to complications from their past of once being one state, Maine and Massachusetts … Continue reading →

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My Struggle with Public Prayer

Posted on March 11, 2017 by smaxreisert

I serve on the board of a local homeless shelter. We recently developed new program space and hosted a ribbon cutting and open house to celebrate. During the planning of the ribbon cutting ceremony, I sent out to the planning … Continue reading →

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An Interesting Time to Be Church

Posted on February 24, 2017 by smaxreisert

It’s an interesting time to be church. With immigration and refugee policies in the news, we can explore and talk about what it means to be neighbor, how the Judeo-Christian tenet of “love thy neighbor as thyself” influences, or not, … Continue reading →

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If Jesus Had Lived in Maine

Posted on February 14, 2017 by smaxreisert

Maine winters are long, and sometimes very challenging. This year, February has roared in with storm after storm. In Central Maine, we got about 8 inches last Thursday, 6 more on Saturday, and then the  “Snowpocalyse” set in. Between Sunday … Continue reading →

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What Films Can Do

Posted on January 28, 2017 by smaxreisert

It’s awards season, in the world of film. While I don’t hold any professional film critic credentials, I do find myself at this time of year trying to see at least a few of the films that receive a lot … Continue reading →

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This Is It

Posted on January 20, 2017 by smaxreisert

When my daughter was young, she had a pet betta fish. Like most betta fish, it didn’t live very long. But, when it died, Margaret was distraught. To help her deal with her considerable grief, I suggested that she organize … Continue reading →

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